Lyra's POV
The cursor blinked in time with her pulse.
Onscreen, the HR internal portal glowed a sterile white, open to the Compliance tab. She scrolled slowly, a knot tightening under her ribs. The words didn't feel real, too clinical to carry the weight they held.
"Any Omega employee who conceives while unbonded must submit to medical registry evaluation within 30 days of confirmed pregnancy."
"Failure to register results in automatic HR escalation and potential legal inquiry if paternity is disputed or concealed."
"All Alpha-Omega medical bonds must be reviewed if an Alpha partner is married, contracted, or engaged. Due to legal risk from contested dominance claims."
Her stomach curled. Her chest ached in that low, persistent way it had all week.
Cassian was engaged.
Even unofficially, the contract stood in the eyes of corporate law. That made her a potential liability. A legal risk wrapped in unspoken history and unsanctioned biology.
The screen blurred. Her chest tightened further. Like her lungs had forgotten how to expand.
She didn't hear Talia enter.
"Why do you look like the HR portal just murdered your cat?"
Lyra jumped, slamming the laptop shut. "Don't sneak up on people."
"You've been staring at that screen for twenty minutes. What were you reading?"
"Just... reviewing internal policies."
"Bullshit."
Talia folded her arms, leaned on the cubicle wall, and stared until Lyra finally muttered:
"The pregnancy regulations."
Talia let out a low whistle, sliding into the spare chair. "You're spiraling."
"I'm fine."
"You're not."
Silence stretched long and brittle.
Talia leaned in. "What part got to you?"
"All of it," Lyra whispered. "The registry clauses. Dominance disputes. HR escalation. The hearing procedures."
Her fingers curled against the closed laptop.
Talia's voice dropped. "You're in serious trouble."
"I haven't told anyone."
"Except me."
Lyra nodded. "And I don't plan to tell anyone else."
"You'll have to," Talia said. "Eventually."
The air between them shifted. Thicker now. Heavier.
Then Lyra's inbox pinged.
> HR Notification: Routine Wellness Screening – Friday, 2:15 PM. Floor 16. Confirm Attendance.
Her blood ran cold.
She turned the screen toward Talia.
"Shit," Talia muttered. "They're already circling."
"I can't go."
"If you don't, it flags the system. But if you do_"
"They'll smell it."
"They'll test for it."
Lyra pressed her hands to her forehead. "What do I do?"
Talia stared at the screen, thinking fast. Then she stood.
"Buy me ten minutes."
"What are you—"
But she was already gone.
---
Admin Floor, Breakroom
Talia returned with a plan and two cups of tea. One untouched, one already cooling.
She slid a folded paper into Lyra's hand.
"What's this?"
"Clinic note. Backdated. Vague. Says you changed your suppressant brand and dosage last week. States you had an allergic reaction and temporary scent distortion. Mentions nausea."
Lyra blinked.
"I called in a favor," Talia said. "Told the doc it was about burnout masking errors. Said the note was for me, not you."
Lyra unfolded the note. The seal looked official. The print clinical, forgettable.
"Next time they ask, this is your excuse. New suppressant. Scent control is unstable. Nausea from dosage shift. They won't test a compromised scent signature without a longer workup, which buys you time."
"And if they push it?"
"Then we escalate. But for now? We run invisible."
Lyra sat still. "Thank you."
Talia's face softened. "You're not doing this alone."
She pointed to the laptop. "Now clear your history and stop reading panic into policy."
"I just needed to understand the consequences."
Talia gave a short laugh. "You want the quick version?"
Lyra nodded.
"If you go unregistered and they find out, they escalate. If another Alpha scents you and starts throwing dominance claims, it gets messy. If it's public, you're labeled a liability."
Lyra's jaw tightened.
"They might suspend you. Investigate. Worst case? Force you into a private hearing to identify the father."
"They can't do that."
"They can."
"And if someone else claims me?"
"They'll settle it with arbitration unless the real Alpha challenges it."
Lyra swallowed. "And the father?"
"He's the only one who could legally protect you. If he claimed paternity."
Lyra closed her eyes. "He doesn't even know."
"And you're not planning to tell him."
"I don't think I can."
Talia studied her. "Then you better hold it together long enough to disappear."
Disappear. She couldn't do that. Not to herself. Not to the baby.
And not to Cassian.
---
Strategic Floor
Lyra cleared her browser history. Re-logged into the audit summary. Forced her thoughts into the data stream.
Michael appeared at her side. "We're moving the Efficiency pitch forward. You're presenting."
Lyra blinked. "Me?"
"You built the comparison."
"I was just refining the notes."
"They were good notes."
Michael lingered a second longer. Kind eyes, unreadable smile.
Lyra's chest tightened. Not from flattery, but fear. She was building something real. Quiet, steady.
And it was slipping away.
---
Admin Floor, Breakroom
Talia found her again, standing with a half-drunk cup of tea, one hand trembling just enough to spill a drop.
"You didn't talk to one of our CEO's cousins, did you?" she asked suddenly.
Lyra blinked. "What?"
Talia folded her arms. "Because that would be a mess."
She started ticking off names.
"If it's Marcus, he'll deny it. If it's Lucien, he'll brag about it. If it's Cedric, he'll probably offer to marry you out of guilt. But if it's that bastard Rhys, I swear I'll light his condo on fire."
Lyra looked down. Said nothing.
"I'm not trying to be nosy, Lyra. I'm trying to protect you. If it's a Dorne, then this won't stay quiet forever. Their family doesn't do secrets. They do PR."
Lyra's voice was low. "I never said it was."
Talia studied her. "You didn't have to."
---
Elevator Lobby
Talia turned the corner and found Theo waiting near the archives.
He didn't look up.
She smirked. "You always lurking in corridors like a sad private detective?"
Theo didn't smile. "Waiting for Cassian."
"Of course you are. How's the royal hound's leash today?"
"Not my favorite metaphor."
"You're not denying it."
Theo glanced over. "What do you want, Aniq?"
She shrugged. "Maybe nothing. Maybe just confirmation."
"Of?"
"Why you keep circling the admin floor. Why you watch Lyra like she's a pending security risk."
"I watch a lot of people."
"Not like this."
Silence.
Then he said, too evenly, "Not everything you think is a conspiracy."
"Then again," Talia said, light as static, "not everything's just a coincidence either."